Great Clips Franchisee Credits Brand's System & Support with Helping Her Achieve the American Dream
Great Clips franchisee Inson Byun is living proof of the American dream. She emigrated from South Korea to the U.S. in 1973 with only a few dollars to her name and a strong work ethic. A short time thereafter, everything changed.
Byun suddenly found herself divorced and completely on her own. Armed only with a high school education and a faint understanding of the English language, she wasn’t sure where to turn to next.
In need of work, Byun did whatever she could do to make a living in Irving, Texas—cleaning homes, working in a salon, packing boxes at warehouses and sewing clothes in a factory. She struggled like so many of us do, but deep down, Byun knew there was a better way forward. She would have to create her own path to success.
“You need a good work ethic and a sense of urgency to succeed,” Byun said. “I wanted to make money and be happy here, so I worked hard towards my goal of being successful.”
In 1993, Byun was working at a salon and asked the manager if there were any other salons in the area for sale. Unfortunately there were none available. That’s when a friend from a packaging job told her about Great Clips.
In 1996 she coupled together her savings and a loan to purchase a Great Clips franchise and soon thereafter, she opened her first salon in Irving, Texas. It was a decision that has paid off. Today, Byun has 19 units open across Texas. Byun said she couldn’t have reached this point if it weren’t for the guidance and reassurance from the Great Clips team.
“I am very good at the customer service aspect of the business, but I was a little new to the business and marketing components of it. Great Clips is a really great company filled with highly educated people who know franchising and business,” Byun said. “They really support you with all the training and systems they put in place and I trust them. If they tell you can be successful, I would believe what they say.”
Franchising with Great Clips is like being in business for yourself, but not by yourself. With an average initial investment ranging from $132,250 to $253,100, Great Clips franchisees benefit from comprehensive training, marketing strategies, facility and equipment ordering support, and a vast network that will help investors build their business.
For nearly 33 years, Great Clips’ growth has revolved around simplicity. The brand has always remained true to its core business – providing a great and simple haircut that customers can feel good about. It’s clearly a business model that works. Today, the billion-dollar business boasts more than 3,900 salons nationwide and continues to thrive after 45 consecutive quarters of same-salon sales growth.
From humble beginnings to full-fledged success, Byun has achieved her realization of business ownership through hard work and by following the Great Clips system. She said franchising with Great Clips has helped her achieve her dream of being successful in America and she hopes to impart her wisdom to others.
“I hope I can help other hard working people that want to be successful in this country like I have been,” Byun said. “I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have Great Clips.”
For more franchising information about Great Clips, click here.